Trailers that are used to haul boats over land usually include a frame mounted on wheels, a tongue extending forwardly from the frame that connects to a hitch ball of the towing vehicle, and parallel support boards, known as bunk boards, that are mounted to the frame. The trailer is backed down a boat launching ramp and a winch positioned over the tongue of the trailer is used to pull a boat from the water onto the bunk boards. The bunk boards are arranged so that their load bearing surfaces generally conform to the shape of the boat hull and are sometimes mounted on pivots so that they can tilt slightly to have their load bearing surfaces positioned in flat abutment with the curved hull of the boat.
There are occasions when a boat is being retrieved from the water onto the bunk boards of a boat trailer that the boat is not received in an upright attitude, with the boat slightly tilted to one side. In some instances, the boat will have a longitudinal rib on each side of its hull and the bunk boards are spaced apart so that they are likely to be engaged by a rib on the low side of the boat so that the boat is prevented from tilting too far to that side. However, some boats do not have the longitudinal ribs or the bunk boards of the trailer are not properly positioned for engagement with the ribs, and the tilting of the boat on the trailer is not corrected.
Bunk boards of trailers usually are made of support boards of rectangular cross section, such as 2″×4″ wooden boards or boards of larger breadth. The wood or other material of the support boards is somewhat flexible and responsive to the weight of the boat as the boat is being retrieved or launched so as to spread the weight of the boat over the length of the bunk boards.
Usually, there is a relatively soft covering applied to the bearing surfaces of the boards, such as woven or tufted material that is superimposed between the boards and the hull of the boat. Typically, the material provides a softer and smoother surface than would be provided by the wood or other material of the boards beneath the material, thereby reducing the likelihood of abrasion between the support boards and the hull of the boat, and reducing the effort required to retrieve and launch the boat.
In some instances, the bunk board covers are molded or extruded of synthetic material, such as soft plastics that are formed to the shapes of the boards, so that they fit over the boards. The molded or extruded plastic bunk board covers usually provide a more slippery surface, particularly when wet, so as to enhance the ease of retrieving and launching a boat, and the plastic bunk board covers usually provide prolonged wear, reduce the likelihood of abrasion, and provide a clean and modem look to the boat trailer.
Bunk boards may be of different lengths on various trailers and/or for various boats, depending on the size, weight and shape of the boat and/or trailer. Because of the need for different length bunk boards, the bunk board covers must be provided in the requested lengths to fit the support boards, or the bunk board covers might be cut or molded to length to fit snugly on the different sizes of support boards. In some instances the bunk board covers leave the ends of the support boards exposed. The appearance of the exposed ends of the support boards is undesirable and it is desirable to have the ends of the support boards covered with the plastic bunk board covers so as to avoid contact between the boat hull and the ends of the bunk boards.
It is to the above noted problems that this invention is directed.